Things you need to Know in Choosing the Right Pool Thermometer

As it is, pools are ideal for recreational and leisure activities – no matter what the season is.

Therefore, it is also important to keep it at optimum temperature levels which will be suitable and safe for users. To monitor water temperatures accurately, you need to have a thermometer fit for your pool. We have listed some products to help you choose the best pool thermometer.

The warmer the pool water is, the more likely it will become a thriving environment for bacteria and it can also affect the balance of the pool water chemicals. As such, if your pool is treated with chlorine, it may quickly run out (consumed) as the bacteria proliferate.

It can also cause some health problems such as dehydration, muscle cramps and body overheating.

On the other hand, if a swimming pool is too cold, it can worsen the condition of those who have heart problems and may even affect those who have a clean bill of health.

In addition, the seasons change, thus require the need to monitor the temperature.

Whenever necessary, the pool temperature may be adjusted before usage.

Optimum Water Temperature Levels

For reference, the ideal pool water temperature should range between 78° to 82° F (25-28°C). However, the pool can be kept cooler at around 29° C for leisure and 30° C for children’s use.

Swimming Pool Thermometers

These are thermometers which have the conventional mercury strip that rises or falls relative to the temperature of the surface that it measures.

The mercury strip rises with increasing temperature but falls with decreasing temperature. It stops on a particular level which then indicates the current temperature.

Digital Pool Thermometers

These are thermometers which automatically read the water temperature in the thermometer’s display console.

They usually have a sensing probe which is submerged in the water whose temperature is then indicated in the digital thermometer.

Other digital thermometers have a dedicated apparatus that can be left in the pool water whose temperature is indicated in a separate receiver. These are the remote pool thermometers such as the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi pool thermometer. They work on up to 100 m away.

More advanced remote thermometers use an Android/IOS app instead of or in addition to physical wireless receivers which then allows you to know the temperature at farther distances.

Other Classifications

When choosing a pool thermometer, you can also choose whether you’d prefer a hanging or a floating thermometer.

The hanging pool thermometer usually has a string which can be tied in the pool ladders or other suitable place in the pool area to submerge the thermometer a few inches or meters below the water surface.

On the other hand, floating thermometers as you may expect, stay only on the water surface.

Pool Thermometer Comparisons

Generally, digital thermometers are equipped with more advanced sensors which can thus provide a more accurate reading.

They are also made up of more durable materials which can resist the effects of the pool chemicals and other factors in the temperature readings.

However, you can expect them to be more expensive to compensate for the quality it has.

Moreover, analog thermometers usually last longer than the digital ones since they don’t use electronic sensors which deteriorate through time.

Floating thermometers may be more convenient to use since you can simply place them in water then remove them after use to check the temperature reading.

However, they are less accurate than the hanging thermometers since they only stay at the surface.

Thus, hanging thermometers are more reliable.

Other Considerations when Checking Pool Water Quality

When you want to get the best pool thermometer, also consider the following:

Check if the instrument is properly calibrated.

Choose a thermometer that will alert whether the temperature exceeds above or below if you want to keep a pre-set temperature level for the pool.

You may have to check the temperature few times a day especially during a change of weather.

You may also prefer those thermometers with additional accessories such as built-in pool alarms whenever the pool is in use. This is especially useful to ensure children’s safety.

Aside from the frequent monitoring of temperature, it is also important to consider pool safety and water quality.

To keep the pool from the access of children, you may install a pool fence in addition to pool alarms.

Lastly, ensure proper pool chemical balance. There are pool test kits that are available in the market to help you assess the water quality of your pool.

Pool Thermometer Reviews

1. Yowosmart Wireless Pool Thermometer

This wireless pool thermometer uses a separate in-pool unit and a receiving unit that has an LCD display.

Aside from recording the temperature in the pool, it can also check the temperature in the spa and tub (0 to 50° C water temperature range).
It conveniently indicates the indoor temperature (0 to 60° C temperature range), as well as the date and time when the temperature recording was done. The data is updated every 30 seconds.

The Pros

Built-in alarm system

The receiving unit can record water temperature from up to 3 different locations.

Energy saver (since it is also solar powered)

Large operating distance range (up to 100 m in open space)

Enables user to set maximum and minimum pool temperature for monitoring

4. MILLIARD Floating Pool Thermometer

It is a 7-inch tall, floating pool thermometer that has both the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales. It comes with a floating animal (bear, fish, duck, etc.) design on the top which floats upright and thus is more convenient to read. Like most thermometers, it can also be used to measure the temperature in spa, tubs, Jacuzzi, etc.

The thermometer is also equipped with a rope which you can tie to the pool ladder or any other suitable area to keep it from floating away. Hence, you will only need to stay in the same place to read the temperature.

Conclusion

Among these products which we have reviewed, the best pool thermometer would be Ambient Weather WS-14 water thermometer. Despite its more expensive cost, it does have a lot of features which make it extra useful.

Compared to other wireless digital water thermometers, this can be manually calibrated for more accurate readings and the sensors can be re-synced whenever transmission interruption occurs. Thus, it can also provide more accurate readings over a large distance range.

Moreover, it can also read the temperature from up to 8 different sensors at different locations with a short update rate of only 60 seconds. It also simultaneously displays the indoor temperature as well as the current date and time.

As it is important to keep the water temperature on optimum levels, this device can really be helpful as it can notify the user whether a set temperature range (maximum and minimum) is reached or exceeded.

With this, the user may adjust the temperature (heating system) quickly without having to check the water temperature from time to time.